Lock



Oct. 6, 1964 J WELLEKENS 3,151,476

LOCK

Filed June 24, 1963 2 She ts-Sheet 1 FIG.1. 1

Z F|G.2. 2

' INVEN TOR.

John F. Wellekens azw'w Oct. 6, 1964 J. F. WELLEKENS LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 llll ii" I L Filed June 24, 1963 I VENTOR. John FWeL ekens morn United States Patent 3,151,476 LOCK Iiohn F. Weilekens, New York, N.Y.,assignor to Hotel Security Systems Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed dune 24, 1963, Ser. No. 290,056 10 (Ilainis. (Cl. 719-382) This invention relates to looks, and more particularly to the type shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 254,104, filed January 28, 1963, and adapted for use on doors of hotel and motel rooms, on post ofiice boxes, safes, parking meters, vending machines and on numerous other locations where it is desirable or necessary for the keying mechanism or the combination of a lock to be either occasionally or often changed.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a lock which can have its keying mechanism or combination quickly changed to fit any one of a large number of differently-contoured keys by the simple adjustment of a locking bar incorporated in the lock and the insertion and turning of the new key to which the keying mechanism is to be adjusted, to cause the lock to thereafter respond to the new key. The simple adjustment of buttresses within the lock by the turning of the new key, and after the buttresses have been freed for adjustment by means of the locking bar movement, results in the lock being adapted for operation by the new key, and until the combination is again changed, the combination will remain as set and the key for which the lock was adjusted will be effective to repeatedly open the lock.

it is an object of the invention to provide a simple and effective means for either locking the buttresses in any desired adjusted position, or else ermitting their release so that they can be moved to the required relative positions for the accommodation of the new key by their tumblers of the wafer type.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of portions of a lock casing or cylinder, with the parts shown therein that relate to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view, with parts in section, showing the locking bar as it appears when engaged with the abutments;

FIG. 3 shows how the teeth on the locking bar engage with those on the abutments;

FIG. 4 is a similar view, showing the disengaged position of the teeth or serrations provided on the abutments and locking bar;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the lock as seen from the left of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a face view of one of the abutments;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is an edge view of the abutment as seen from the left of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the toothed or serrated part of one of the abutments;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a portion of the locking bar;

FIG. 11 is a face view of the locking bar, and

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the locking bar and the toothed or serrated part of one of the abutments showing the interengagement between the locking bar and abutment.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a housing or casing of the lock. In the form shown, the same is of cylindrical formation and is mounted in a door or other support in any conventional way.

In the drawings, a number of the operating parts of the lock, such as for example the rotative plug and some associated parts, disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 254,104 are omitted sincethey form no part of the present invention.

As disclosed in my said co-pending application, the lock casing contains a plurality of adjustable, cup-shaped buttresses or abutments 2, the construction of which will be apparent from FIGS. 6 to 9 inclusive. Each of these buttresses includes a base portion or floor 3, provided with a substantialy ovate opening 4 through which the plug of the look (not shown) extends and is rotative. The buttresses are externally of non-round formation and are flattened at diametrically opposite points as shown at 5 and 6, the external shape of each of the buttresses conforming to the interior shape of a portion of the housing in which the buttresses are adjustable transversely of the housing and are non-rotatively confined therein.

Each of the buttresses is provided with a peripheral wall 7 interrupted at opposite points to provide the gaps 3 and 9. The curved wall sections of the buttress each have a cam surface 16 against which the ends of the lugs 12 on wafer-type tumblers are operative to shift the buttresses as required for the adjustment of the buttresses to cause the lock to accommodate a new key.

The gaps 8 and 9 in the wall of each buttress constitute recesses into which the end parts or lugs of the tumblers can be moved to lock the plug of the lock against rotation. Provided on one of the flat edges, or that shown at 6, of each buttress is a toothed or serrated area 13, the same extending about half Way across said edge. The purpose of providing the toothed or serrated area on each buttress is to provide for an interengaging contact of these parts with a locking bar 14, shown in detail in FIGS. 10 and 11, and by movement of the bar to lock the abutments or buttresses against movement relatively to one another and transversely of the lock casing, or to release the abutments to permit of such adjusting movement for the accommodation of a new key.

The locking bar 14 is an elongated metal member having an enlarged head or finger-piece 15 at one end, the same being provided with a knurled or roughened surface as shown at 16 for finger engagement. At the back of the head 15 is provided a notch 17 adapted for locking engagement with a split retaining ring 18 (FIG. 5), located at the rear of the casing 1, said ring being capable of rotative adjustment to cause it to enter the notch 17 and hold the locking bar against longitudinal shifting movement. When it is desired to longitudinally move the bar, the split ring 18 is rotatively moved to the position shown in FIG. 5, wherein the bar is disposed in the gap between the ends 19a of the ring, and the bar can then be longitudinally moved.

Provided on a face of the locking bar 14 is a plurality of spaced toothed or serrated areas 19, the same corre sponding in number to the number of abutments, five of which are shown in the present embodiment. The toothed or serrated areas 19 are equally spaced apart, as shown at 29, these spaces being of a width at least equal to the width of the serrated areas 13 on the abutments. When the locking bar 14 has been longitudinally moved to the right to the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the teeth or serrations 19 on the locking bar will have become engaged with the teeth or serrations 13 on the abutments, and the abutments will retain their relative positions as long as the engagement between the locking bar and the abutments is continued. Thus, once the abutments have been shifted to cause their tumblers to be adapted to the contour of a new key, the abutments will be locked in such adjusted positions by the movement of the locking bar to the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The retaining ring 18 will hold the locking bar in the abovedescribed position.

When it is desired to adapt the lock to a new key of another contour, the abutments must be freed and this is done by rotating the ring 18 to bring the gap thereof between the ends of the ring at the locking bar, substantially as shown in PEG. 5, thus releasing the bar and permitting it to be moved toward the left as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, thus disengaging the teeth or serrations 19 on the bar from those shown at 13 on the abutments, and bringing the toothed areas 13 into registry with the gaps 2% on the locking bar. The abutments can thereupon be shifted relatively to one another by the insertion of a new key through the tumblers. When the tumblers are positioned as required for the accommodation of the new key, the abutments or buttresses are locked in the adjusted position by movement of the locking bar 14 in a direction to bring its toothed or serrated areas 19 into engagement with those shown at 13 on the abutments. The locking bar 14 is then held against longitudinal shifting movement by means of the retaining ring 18.

The elements shown at 25, 26 and 7 are washers used in the rear of the lock casing to maintain the abutments therein and also to provide stop means for the rotative lock plug. The locking bar has a lug 23 which engages one of these washers.

From the foregoing, the manner in which the abutments or buttresses are maintained in their locked relationship when adjusted for a new key, will be apparent. The operation of a lock of this kind is described in my copending application Serial No. 254,104 and it is suiiicient to herein state that when the lock is to be made responsive to a new key, the locking bar 14 is shifted in a manner to disengage its teeth or serrations from those on the abutments. The prevailing key is inserted and is turned for about a quarter of a turn; the new key is then inserted and turned clockwisely to a vertical or central position. The locking bar is then pushed inwardly to cause the engagement between its teeth and those on the abutments or buttresses and it is locked in such position. The new key is then withdrawn from the lock which will thereafter respond to that key until changed by following the procedure above described.

Having thus described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A lock having a plurality of adjustable abutments, the same being disposed contiguously and each being provided with a tumbler, a movable locking bar operative when moved to a limited extent in one direction to couple the abutments together to hold the same against movement relatively to one another, the bar when moved in an opposite direction permitting the abutments to be shifted for adjustment to key contour, and means engag ing the bar for holding it against longitudinal shift, said means being movable to a position to enable the bar to be shifted.

2. A lock as provided for in claim 1, wherein each abutment is provided with a serrated edge, the locking bar having serrations for engagement with those on the abutments when said bar is moved in one direction and adapted to be disengaged from the serrations on the abutments when the locking bar is moved in the opposite direction.

3. A lock having a plurality of cup-shaped abutments,

each of said abutments carrying an adjustable wafer-type tumbler, the abutments being adjustable relatively to one another to accommodate the tumblers to keys of different contours, a slidable locking bar having spaced serrated areas, the abutments being provided along one edge with serrations for engagement with those on the locking bar, the locking bar being movable to cause disengagement of its serrations from those on the abutments.

4. A lock as provided for in claim 3, wherein the locking bar is slidable axially of the lock, and means for holding the locking bar in the position in which its serrations are engaged with those on the abutments.

5. A lock as provided for in claim 4, wherein there is a lock casing arranged around the abutments, a closure disk for one end of the casing, a notch in said disk through which the locking bar is slidable, a retaining ring behind the disk and a notch in the locking bar engaged by the retaining ring for holding the locking bar in a position where its serrations are in engagement with those on the abutments.

6. A look having a casing, a plurality of cupped abutments contained in the casing and adjustable transversely of the same, a wafer type tumbler adjustable within each abutment for accommodation to key contour, a locking bar slidable axially through the casing, the casing being closed at one end by a disk, the locking bar having a finger-piece located beyond the rear end of the casing, said locking bar having a notch, a ring in the rear end of the casing behind the disk for engagement with said notch to hold the locking bar against longitudinal sliding movement, each of the abutments being serrated at one edge, the locking bar having spaced serrated areas for engagement with the serrations on the abutments, the serrated areas on the locking bar being spaced apart to permit disen agement of such areas from the serrations on the abutments by movement of the locking bar.

7. In a lock, a plurality of wafer-holding abutments adapted for adjustment relatively to one another, a bar slidable across a group of such abutments, interengaging means on the bar and on the abutments for preventing relative shift of the abutments, the said means being disengaged to free the abutments for adjustment in re pact to one another by a shifting movement of the bar, the interengaging' means on the bar and on the abutments consists of serrated areas on both the bar and abutments, the serrated areas on the bar being spaced apart to cause them to be disengaged from the serrated areas on the abutments by longitudinal shifting movements of the bar.

8. In a look, a locking bar for holding a plurality of abutments against movement relatively to one another, said bar having spaced areas of serrations in one of its surfaces, and serrations on the abutments engaged by those on the bar.

9. In a lock as provided for in claim 8, wherein the serrations on the abutments are on one edge of each abutment and extend only for a part of the edge of the same, with the spacing between the serrated areas on the bar being at least equal to the width of the serrations on the abutinents.

10. In a lock, a plurality of abutments adapted for rela tive adjustment to enable wafer-type tumblers within them to be accommodated to difierent key contours, each abutment being serrated along one of its edges, with the serrations extending only partly across said edge of each of the abutments.

Roche Jan. 29, 1901 Gabrielsen Nov. 2, 1948 

3. A LOCK HAVING A PLURALITY OF CUP-SHAPED ABUTMENTS, EACH OF SAID ABUTMENTS CARRYING AN ADJUSTABLE WAFER-TYPE TUMBLE, THE ABUTMENTS BEING ADJUSTABLE RELATIVELY TO ONE ANOTHER TO ACCOMMODATE THE TUMBLERS TO KEYS OF DIFFERENT CONTOURS, A SLIDABLE LOCKING BAR HAVING SPACED SERRATED AREAS, THE ABUTMENTS BEING PROVIDED ALONG ONE EDGE WITH SERRATIONS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THOSE ON THE LOCKING BAR, THE LOCKING BAR BEING MOVABLE TO CAUSE DISENGAGEMENT OF ITS SERRATIONS FROM THOSE ON THE ABUTMENTS. 